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Local Teens Find Value in Hospitality Industry

Written by a Mililani High School Student after attending the Second Annual Lead, Expose, and Inspire (LEI) on April 5. LEI is organized by ClimbHI and supported by the HTA.

In today’s day and age, Hawaii's local teenagers are not fully aware of the importance of the hospitality industry to Hawaii's economy. And as Hawaii's next generation, it is crucial that we understand the role that the hospitality industry plays in our local economy so that we can improve it. The LEI program aims to educate Hawai‘i’s teens about the hospitality industry and hopes to bring more awareness to the wide variety of possible careers.

After attending the LEI program on April 5, 2013, my opinion of the hospitality industry is forever changed. Before, I knew about all of the general jobs pertaining to the industry, such as a concierge, hotel manager and housekeeping, but I never really considered it being a possible job for me. However, after touring The Modern Hotel, and learning about all of the different departments that work together to operate the hotel, I am reconsidering the hospitality industry as a job for me. The one department that interested me the most is the human resources department because it seems like a challenging, interactive and rewarding job.

The one thing that I most enjoyed about the program was the actual tour of the hotel. I felt that by having that inside access and seeing the behind scenes operations of a hotel, we were able to gain a better sense of the hotel’s system and how each department contributes to the success of the hotel. It was also very intriguing to see how each department contained a certain type of personality profile. It was nice to see everyone happy with their job because it suited their personality and it was reassuring to know that there are jobs that can match your personality type.

Because of the changed perspective that I now have on the hospitality industry, I would definitely recommend this program to my peers. I believe it is a great experience that my peers would enjoy because it is interactive and engaging. This program teaches students to aspire for the best and inspires them to work hard by listening to all of the great guest speakers. At the same time, this program brings to our attention that we are Hawaii's next generation, and as the next generation, it is our responsibility to improve Hawaii and make Hawaii better. With this responsibility, we must understand that the hospitality industry helps to sustain our economy.

Every day, the hospitality industry generates $39 million in Hawaii. Making this industry the largest contributing factor to Hawaii's economy. Without the successful revenue of tourism, Hawaii's economy could plummet. This is why it is important that there are people filling the jobs within the hospitality industry, so that it will thrive and become sustainable.

Though Hawaii does compete with other destination, what stands us apart and makes Hawaii unique is our aloha spirit. The calming, relaxing and welcoming presence that our local people give off, entices our visitors and makes their visit all the more enjoyable. Our aloha spirit is contagious and spreads through people like wildfire, infecting them with smiles, warmth and generosity. It is our aloha spirit that sets us apart from other destinations and is the essence of Hawaii, which is why we need to keep our spirit alive and keep the hospitality industry thriving.

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